Rural mail box



Aug. 4, 1959 M. E. ouELLl-:TTE

RURAL MAIL BOX Filed June 6, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jnvenfor Maxime E, OWUeTTe. "f/ CM Mirow? e.

Aug. 4, 1959 M. E. oUELLl-:TTE

RURAL MAILHBOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 6, 1957 United States Patent RURAL MAIL BOX Maxime E. Ouellette, North Brewer, Maine Application Juner6, 1957, Serial No. 664,014

Y 3 Claims. (Cl. 248-145) This invention relates to rural mail boxes. In many mail boxes of this type the mail box itself is mounted on the end of a supporting arm which in turn is secured to a supporting post anchored in the ground, and the supporting arm is pivotally mounted to swing in a vertical direction, so that in one position the mail box is placed at a convenient height for a person to place mail therein or to remove it thereform, and in another position ythe mail box is at an elevated level above the tratiic on the highway.

ln rural mail boxes it is also commonto connect the supporting arm to the post in such a way that the arm can swing horizontally from its normal position in which it stands at right angles to the highway into a position more or less parallel with the highway, the purpose of such a construction being to enable the box and support- 2,898,066 Patented Aug. 4, 1959 ice shown in full lines Fig. 1 in -which the mail box 1 .is at `a convenient level for a person to place mail therein or remove it therefrom, into a raised position shown in ing arm to swing laterally if it is struck by a moving vehicle on the highway.

Rural mail boxes of this type are usually provided with a return spring which operates to return the arm and the box supported thereby to their normal position after they they have been displaced by being engaged by a moving vehicle. 7

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel rural mail box having both of these features, the novel features of which will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view of a rural mail box embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View showing the supporting arm in raised position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partly in section, showing in full lines the supporting arm in its lowered working position and in dotted lines in its raised inoperative position, and illustrating the spring by which the arm is held in either of its two adjusted positions;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3 showing the supporting arm in a displaced position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on the line 5 5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6,'Fig. 3; p

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing in full lines the supporting arm in its normal position extending transversely to the highway and in dotted lines showing it in two different displaced positions into which it might have been swung by a vehicle moving along the highway;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4 but showing in full lines the supporting arm in its normal position extending at right angles to the highway; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing the spring means by which the mail box-supporting arm is held yieldingly in either its lowered position or its elevated position.

in the drawings, l indicates a mail box of any suitable construction which is mounted on the end of a supporting arm indicated generally by 2. This supporting arm is pivotally mounted on a post 3 which is properly anchored in the ground, said supporting arm being adapted to swing vertically from a normal working position dotted lines.

The supporting arm 2 is also so mounted on the post 3 that it can swing horizontally about the post as an axis, as will be presently described.

'Ihe post 3 herein shown is a metal post and While it may be anchored in the ground in any suitable way, yet for the purpose of illustration I have shown it as mounted on a base member 4 which in turn is properly anchored in the ground. The member 4 is shown as having a general T-shape comprising one member 5 which extends parallel to the highway and another member 6 which is rigidly secured tothe member 5 and extends at right angles thereto. These two members 5 and 6 may be made of iron or other metal and are integrally united by some suitable Way, as by welding. The member 5 is provided on each end with a leg 7 which is bent laterally at its lower end to provide a foot portion 8, and the member 6 is similarly provided with a leg 9, the lower end of which is bent laterally to provide the foot 10. The feet 8 and 10 of the base member 4 are shown as anchored to wooden anchoring members 11 which are embedded in the earth, the feet being attached to the anchoring members by bolts 12 passing through holes 12a in the feet 8 and 10 or other suitable fastening devices.

The post 3 is shown as adjustably supported in the base 4 so that the supporting arm 2 and the mail box may be placed at any desirable elevation. For this purpose the lower end of the post 3 extends through an aperture 3a in the base member 6, and it is rigidly clamped to the member 6 by means of clamping nuts 13, one above the member 6 and the other below it. By adjusting the nuts 13 the post can be raised or lowered in the base as desired. The supporting arm 2 is pivotally mounted on a hub member 14 having an aperture 14a through which the upper end of the post 3 extends, which hub member is capable of turning about the post. Said hub member is held in its proper position by means of a pin 15 anchored in the post 3 and on .which the lower edge portion 16 of the hub rests.

The hub is provided with a downwardextension 17 that partially encircles the post and which presents two stop shoulders 18 which cooperate with the pin 15 to limit the turning movement of the hub about the post.

The hub member 14 is provided on its front side with a vertically extending n 19 to which the supporting arm 2 is pivoted for swinging movement in a vertical direction. Said supporting arm presents two arm sections 20, 21 which are parallel to each other, the arm section 20 being pivoted to the tin 19 at 22 and the arm section 21 -being pivoted to said nv at 23. The rear end of each of the arm sections is forked and the two arms of the Work straddle the fin 19, the pivotal pins 22, 23 extending through both arms of the fork and through the tin. v

The mail box 1 is provided with a depending n 24 to which the front ends of the arm sections 20 and 21 are pivoted. The front end of these arm sections are also forked and the iin 24'is located between the arms of the forks. The arm section 20 is pivoted to the n 24 at 25 and the arm section 21 is pivoted thereto at 26. With this arrangement the two arm sections remain parallel to each other as the supporting arm is swung vertically and the mail box thus will always be maintained ina horizontal position during the entire vertical swinging movement of the supporting arm. Y

The downward movement of the supportinggarm is limited by the engagement of a stop portion 27 on the 3 upper arm section with a stop element 28 that is rigid with the hub member 14, as illustrated in Fig. 3. When the supporting arm 2 is in its lower horizontal position the arm sections are slightly separated from each other,A

but as the supporting arm is swung upwardly into the dotted line position the upper edge of the lower arm section 21 is brought into engagement with the lower edge of the upper arm section 20, thereby limiting further upwardy swinging movement.

The device includes a spring element which functions to yieldingly hold the supporting arm in either its lowered position or its raised position. Such spring is indicated at 29 and is in the form of a coil spring which is mounted on a stern 3i) extending rearwardly from the hub member 14, that is, in a direction opposite to that in which the mail-box supporting arm 2 extends.

Associated with the spring is a pair of linksl 31, one link on each side of the hub member. The front end of each link extends forwardly beyond the hub member 14 and is pivotally connected at 33 to the upper arm section 20 by a pivot pin, as shown in Fig. 2. The rear end ofeach link 31 extends some distance to the rear of the hub member 14 and has at its end an inturned portion 32 which engages the rear end of the spring 29, as shown in Fig. 9. The links 31 are of such length that the spring 29 is normally held under compression and thus continually exerts a pulling force toward the right (Fig. 2) on the arm section 20.

The relation between the pivot pin 33 and the pivot pin 22 for the upper arm section 20 is such that when the supporting arm 2 is in its lowered operative position shown in full lines in Figs. l and 3 the spring 29y exerts a pulling strain on the pivot pin 33 in the direction of the broken line 34 in Fig. l, and as this line is below the pivot 22 the effect will be that the pulling strain exerted on the arm section 20 :by the spring 29 will tend to swing said arm section downwardly and will thus hold the supporting arm 2 in its full line position Fig. 1.

When the supporting arm is swung upwardly into its raised position, as shown in dotted lines Figs. l and 3, the line of pull between the ends 32 of the links 31 and the pivot pin 32 will be located above the pivot 22, as shown by the broken line 35 in Fig. 1. Consequently, when the parts are in this position spring 29 will be effective in holding the supporting arm 2 in its raised position. The spring 29 thus functions to hold the supporting arm 2 in either of its two extreme positions while permitting it to be readily shifted from one position to the other.

The arm section 20 is shown as having an operating handle member 36 depending therefrom by which the mail :box and the supporting arm 2 may be pulled downwardly from the elevated position into the normal working position, and this same element serves as means by which the supporting arm can be given an initial upward movement when said arm is to be raised suciently to move the pivot 33 above the pivot 22, and when this has been accomplished the energy of the spring 29 will be sufficient to complete the elevating movement of the supporting arm.

The supporting arm 2 with the mail box 1 thereon is capable of not only swinging vertically as above described, but also of swinging horizontally about the vertical post 3 as a pivot. This results from the fact that the hub member 14, on which the supporting arm 3 is mounted, is free to turn about the upper end of the post, and thus about a vertical axis.

The improved mail box herein shown also is provided with spring means by which, when the supporting arm has been displaced horizontally from its normal position and then released, said arm will be automatically returned to its normal position, as shown in Figs. l and 7, a position in which said arm extends at right angles to the highway. i

For this purpose the upper end of the stationary post 3 has rigid therewith a head element 37 which is shown as provided with a horizontal slot 38 that is of sufficient depth to extend from one side of the head 37 clear across the axis of the post 3, as best seen in Fig. 3. This head portion 37, which is rigid with the stationary post, is located within a box-like support member 58 which is located above the hub member 14 and is rigid therewith. Said box-like support member comprises a bottom portion 39, which may be integral with the nub member 14, or at least rigid therewith, and two side portions 40, and also a removable cover portion 41 which closes the top of the element and has integral therewith two end members 42, 43 which close the ends of said boxlike member. The cover 41 may be retained in position by any suitable means, and as herein illustrated such means are in the form of screws 44 which extend through the top 41 and screw into the bottom 39.

Situated within the box-like support member is a T- shaped intermediate member 45, the head 46 of which occupies the slot 38 of the head element 37. The stem 49 of said T-shaped intermediate member extends lengthwise of the box-like support member and the endl 50 thereof projects through an aperture 43a in the end 43 of thecover element. Situated within the box-like member is a coil spring 51 through which the stem 49 of the T-shaped intermediate member 45 extends, said spring bearing at one end against the head 46 and at the other end against the end portion 43 of the cover element, as best seen in Fig. 3. When in place the spring 51 is held under more or less compression and, therefore, exerts a force on the head 46 tending to move it toward the left, Fig. 3. The slotted head 37 is made with two abutment members 52 situated within the slot 33 so that when the supporting arm 2 is in its normal position extending in a direction crosswise of the highway, as shown in Fig. 4 the head 46 of the T member will be held in engagement with both abutments by means of the spring 51.

It' will be remembered that the box-like member is rigid with the hub 14 so that whenever that supporting arm 2 is swung horizontally the box-like support member will have the same swinging movement. The swinging movement of the supporting arm 2 and the box-like support member in a horizontal direction by the turning movement of the hub member 14 on the post 3 will cause the head 46 to swing around one or the other of the abutments, as shown in full lines Fig. 4, and thereby said head 46 will be moved backwardly against the action of the spring 51, with the result that energy will be stored up in said spring. When the supporting arm 2 has been relieved of the lforce by which it was swung into its displaced position, the spring 51 will be effective in returning the supporting arm to its normal position, shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 8. By using two abutments as shown in Fig. 8 the spring 51 serves to hold the supporting arm 2 yieldingly in its central or normal position, but the spring will be effective in returning the supporting arm to said'normal position whenever it has been displaced horizontally in either direction.

The head 46 of the T-shaped element 45 is of a length to extend from one side to the other of the box element 58 and is thereby held from lateral movement, and the opening 43a in the end 43 of said box-like support member through which the end 50 of the stern 49 extends serves to maintain said stem in its proper position. Said T-shaped element 4S is thus maintained in its proper position when the mail box supporting arm 2 is swung to either side and the head 46 is bearing against one only of the abutments 52, each of which is located ol center with respect to said T-shaped element.

I claim:

l. In a rural mail box, 4a vertical stationary supporting post, a hubV member mounted thereon for turning movement about a vertical axis, means supporting said hub member in its operative position on the post, a mail box supporting arm extending laterally from the hub member and pivotally mounted theregn to swing in a vertical direction between a normal lower position and an elevated position, a pair of links pivoted coaxially to said arm on one side of the hub member and extending to a position on the opposite side thereof and terminating in free ends, a projection extending laterally from the hub portion in the opposite direction from that of the arm, a coiled spring carried by the projection and having one end bearing against the hub portion and the other against the ree ends of' the links, said spring being under compression and exerting a pulling force on the links, the relation between the pivotal point of the links with the arm and the pivotal point of the arm with the hub member being such that the pulling force of the spring is applied to the arm at a point below the pivotal axis of the arm when the latter is in its lowered normal position and above said pivotal axis when the arm is in its elevated position, means to limit the upward swinging movement of the arm when it reaches its elevated position, and means to limit ythe downward swinging movement of said arm when it reaches its normal position whereby said spring yieldingly holds the arm in either its normal or elevated position, the turning movement of the hub member about its vertical axis providing for a horizontal swinging movement of the mail-box supporting arm.

2. In a rural mail box, a stationary vertical supporting post having rigid therewith at its upper end a head portion provided with a horizontal slot, an abutment element in said slot spaced from the axis of the supporting post, a hub member mounted on the supporting post to turn about a vertical axis, means carried by the post to support the hub member in its operative position, a mail box supporting arm pivoted to the hub member to swing vertically between a normal lower position and an elevated position, stop means to maintain said arm in its lower position, said arm extending laterally from the hub member, whereby turning movement of the hub member about its vertical axis produces a horizontal swinging movement of the mail box supporting arm between a normal position and a displaced position, a box-like support member carried by the hub member and rigid therewith, said box-like support member enclosing said head portion of the post and extending laterally from the hub member in a direction opposite from that of the mail box supporting arm, an intermediate member enclosed within the support member and having a portion occupying said slot in the head portion of the post and adapted to bear against the abutment element, a spring also enclosed Within the support member and acting against the intermediate member and yieldingly pressing it against the abutment element, said support member and intermediate member having cooperative portions by which the intermediate member is maintained in its operative position, whereby when the mail box supporting arm is swung horizontally into a displaced position, the spring presusre on the intermediate member is increased so that when the mail box supporting arm is released from its displaced position said spring will return said arm to its normal position, and stop means to limit the return movement of said ann.

3. In a rural mail box, a vertical stationary supporting post having at its upper end a head portion provided with a horizontal slot, two spaced abutment elements in said slot, each spaced from the axis of the post, a hub member mounted on the post -to turn about a vertical axis and situated below the head portion, means carried by the post to support the hub member in operative position, a mail box supporting arm pivotally mounted on the hub member to swing vertically about a horizontal axis between a normal lower position and an elevated position and also adapted to swing horizontally between a normal position and a displaced position as the hub member turns about its vertical axis, stop means to position said arm in its normal lower position, a box-like support member rigid with the hub member and which encloses the slotted head portion of the supporting post, a T-shaped intermediate member located within said box-like support member and having its head portion occupying said slot and normally engaging both of said abutment elements, a spring within the box-like support member and mounted on the stem of the T-shaped intermediate member with one end engaging the head portion of said intermediate member and the other end engaging a wall of the boxlike support member, said spring yieldingly holding the head of the intermediate member in engagement with the abutment elements, said support member and intermediate member having cooperating portions by which said intermediate member is maintained in its operative position, whereby when the mail box supporting aim is swung horizontally in either direction from its normal position into a displaced position, the spring pressure against the intermediate member is increased, and when the mail box supporting arm is released from its displaced position, said spring will return it to its normal position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 899,781 Anderson Sept. 29, 1908 911,935 Baumwart Feb. 9, 1909 1,039,695 Cagley Oct. l, 1912 1,531,677 Miller Mar. 31, 1925 1,545,006 Miller July 7, 1925 1,834,775 Hall Dec. 1, 1931 2,683,013 Amundson et al. July 6, 1954 

